Cape Tribulation
Cape Tribulation (16°04′S 145°28′E / 16.067°S 145.467°E) is both a headland and small town in northern Queensland, Australia 110 km (68 mi) north of Cairns. It is in the Daintree National Park and the Wet Tropics World Heritage area. The first people to live in the area were the Kuku Yalanji. The first European to settle in the area was John Moffat in 1880 who set up a farm to grow food for the miners in the west.[1]
There is a sealed road to the area from the south from the Daintree River Ferry. To the north there is a four wheel drive unsealed road, called the Bloomfield Track. This goes to the Bloomfield River, Wujal Wujal, Bloomfield Falls and Cooktown. It is often closed during the wet season (Feb-Apr).
Tribulation means trouble and great suffering.[2] Cape Tribulation was named by British explorer Lt. James Cook on 10 June 1770 after his ship ran into a coral reef near the headland; "...because here began all our Troubles..."[3]
Cape Tribulation is in a rainforest and it gets a lot of rain. In 2006, the rainfall recorded was over 5.7 metres.[4]
Most people visit the area during the dry season between July and November. There are four main resorts to stay in as well as several smaller bed and breakfast places. The town has two small supermarkets, two ATMs, one takeaway food outlet and five restaurants. During the wet season marine stingers are common so people swim in the many waterholes. There are crocodiles in the creeks.
The Great Barrier Reef is very close to the coast, only 19 km (12 mi) due east. There are two boats that take visitors to the reef. Other activities available are guided night walks, 4 wheel drive tours, horseriding, kayaking, jungle surfing, tropical fruit tasting and crocodile cruises.
Other websites
[change | change source]- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website. - Cape Tribulation section Archived 2008-05-07 at the Wayback Machine
References
[change | change source]- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website - Cape tribulation - Daintree National Park. Archived 2008-06-07 at the Wayback Machine
- Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service website - nature, culture and history
- http://www.capetribulation.com.au/
- ↑ Mason, Lawrence. "History of the Daintree Coast". Daintree Coast. Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ↑ "Tribulation". The Free Dictionary by Farlex. Retrieved 2009-09-16.
- ↑ Captain Cook's Journal During the First Voyage Round the World at Project Gutenberg
- ↑ "Cape Tribulation rainfall". Daintree Coast. Archived from the original on 2009-09-12. Retrieved 2009-09-18.